AnarWiki/markdown/Estonian_Health_Worker_Strike_(2012).md

The **Estonian Health Worker Strike of 2012** was a
[strike](List_of_Strikes "wikilink") of
[healthcare](healthcare "wikilink") workers in
[Estonia](Estonia "wikilink") in
[2012](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Eastern_Europe "wikilink").

## Background

After Estonia joined the European Union in 2004, healthcare workers
began leaving Estonia for other countries with better pay and working
conditions, such as [Finland](Finland "wikilink"), where doctors wages
were as much as four times larger. The ageing and shrinking healthcare
force had become increasingly overburdened with the country’s healthcare
demands. In 2012, a quarter of Estonia’s 4000 specialized doctors were
above pension age, and the Estonian Medical Association stated that more
than one third of physicians were considering working abroad. Doctors in
major hospitals in the cities of Tallinn and Tartu were being paid for
32 hour weeks despite the fact that many worked well over 40 hours.
Aiming to stop the collapse of Estonia's healthcare system by offering
better wages and working conditions to doctors, the two major healthcare
worker unions went on strike.

## Events

Strikers did not halt care in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and
maternity wards, or treatment for cancer patients, pregnant women, and
small children.

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip responded with outrage and
publically rebuked healthcare workers for making unrealistic demands and
refused to participate in negotiations with the two unions.

On 1 October, workers in Estonia’s four largest hospitals in the capital
city of Tallin and Tartu began to strike in outpatient care centers.
Members of the Estonian Nurses Union wore green badges reading
“dignified wages.” Many doctors who remained in their positions took
turns striking during their office hours, effectively creating a
slowdown strike in hospitals. On 8 October, the strike expanded to
inpatient care centers within those hospitals, and healthcare
professionals at Parnu, Viljamdi, Narva, and Kuressaare hospital
outpatient care medical systems joined the strike. The strike did not
include family doctors, but many supported the action by shortening
their reception hours.

Green posters reading “STREIK” in large white letters appeared outside
of medical centers and in offices of doctors participating in the
strike. The posters read “soovime muutusi tervishhoilus” (we want to
change healthcare) beneath the image of a healthcare professional
exiting in a modified version of the European exit sign. Doctors,
nurses, and caretakers wore buttons with the image to express their
support and participation in the strike.

On 8 October, the government offered a 15 percent pay increase for
caregivers, 10 percent for nurses, and 6 percent for doctors to take
place gradually over two years and promised that physician workloads in
outpatient and inpatient care would not be increased in the following
year. The doctors’ and healthcare workers’ unions rejected this offer,
claiming that it was too low to achieve their desired goals.

On 18 October, the two unions met with the EHIF and Hospitals union, but
did not reach an agreement. Union leaders stated that EHIF head Hanno
Pevkur was not able to make any real promises to the unions and talked
about proposed wage increases in exceedingly vague terms. Union leaders
asserted that the healthcare system needed to be reorganized immediately
and that the country could not depend on economic growth to solve the
problem.

The healthcare strike caused widespread distress among the public. Wait
periods for appointments had grown to several months, longer if
operations were needed. In the wake of the strike, participating
surgeons had canceled most surgeries. Public opinion grew increasingly
negative toward the government, which remained unresponsive to the
strike, despite the fact that healthcare professionals were denying
patients their right to medical care. By late October, healthcare
professionals at all major hospitals in Estonia had joined the strike.

## Results

The strike

On 25 October, the two striking unions reached a preliminary agreement
with the Hospitals Union and EHIF. Medical interns would be paid by the
work week starting 1 January 2013. Beginning on 1 March 2013,
caretakers, nurses, and doctors would receive their respective 23, 17.5,
and 11 percent raises funded by the state budget and EHIF. In addition,
hospitals would pay resident doctors for 40 hour work weeks. Hanno
Pevkur presided over the signing. Andres Kork announced on Friday 26
October that the strike had ended. Care centers resumed their normal
reception hours and healthcare workers returned to their regular work
schedules. The unions signed the finalized agreement in late November
2012.